


Rainbows and Star Wars-Heart Eyes

by NemiMontoya



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Reddie, Romance, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 09:55:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20928323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NemiMontoya/pseuds/NemiMontoya
Summary: Sometimes, in the midst of trying to wrap his head around the fact that it was okay to be this happy, Richie would think back to his thirteen-year old self; that confused, awkward boy, so in love and so terrified. He wished he could send a message to that boy somehow:”Don’t worry. It will happen. It will take a long time, but trust me, it will be so worth it.”





	Rainbows and Star Wars-Heart Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I finally finished it! I've been trying to work on this for weeks, but I kept getting stuck. But now it's finally done. Hopefully, it came out okay. I wrote this one as sort of a follow up to my most recent short fic Home, but it can be read as its own thing. I really hope you'll like it.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who give me kudos and leave me comments on my fics. You're the best.

With a squeeze of the hand, Eddie walked away from Richie where he was browsing a crate of vinyl records to browse a display of neckties. Richie watched him go with a fond smile. Being part of a couple, and doing couple-y things like today’s visit to a vintage store still made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The kind of warmth he associated with bread fresh from the oven, honey melting in steaming hot tea and knit socks. A warmth that was comfortable, soothing, and made you blissfully happy.

*

After leaving Derry they had gone straight to New York, where Eddie as kindly as possible had explained to his wife that their marriage was over. Myra had wailed, loudly and theatrically, but she hadn’t tried to convince him to stay as Eddie had expected. Perhaps she could sense that something about him was different. She had taken it better still when Eddie informed her that she could keep the house and almost all their possessions. He intended only to take his personal things. Everything else was hers. Their savings would be split equally. All in all, the dissolution of the Kaspbrak marriage had gone relatively smoothly.

After some discussion of their next course of action, Eddie had decided that he wanted to leave New York and move in with Richie in LA. The thought had crossed them briefly - _very_ briefly - that perhaps they were moving too fast and maybe they should live apart for a while first. Neither of them really liked that idea though, and the matter was settled when Richie shrugged and said:

”Screw it. We’ve missed twenty-seven fucking years. I think we’ve earned the right to act like irresponsible dumbasses.”

And so Eddie moved his things into Richie’s place. They both promised to be honest and let each other know if it _had_ been too fast. If it came to that, Eddie could get his own place. But it never became necessary. They managed to adjust to each other’s habits and routines with almost no effort. Sure, they argued, but that was mostly their usual bickering that simply came out of habit. Richie was happy in a way he couldn’t remember being since they were together as kids, only this time there was no murderous clown to come and spoil everything. The simple pleasure of showing each other affection, getting to touch Eddie and be touched by him was enough to sometimes make Richie shake his head and wonder if it was all real and not a dream.

He’d had dreams like that before when he was young.

But it _was_ real. It was real when he slid his arms around Eddie from behind and placed a tender kiss on the back of his neck, or when they were wrapped around each other on the couch watching movies, Richie sometimes earning himself a pinch for hogging the Skittles. It was real in some mornings when Eddie woke him with kisses along his jawline and whispered ’you’ll be late if you don’t get up’ in his ear and it was real in _other_ mornings when Eddie woke him by poking him with his finger saying ’wake up already, I’m horny’. And it was real when he pushed into Eddie, clutching sheets and feeling Eddie’s gasping breaths against his neck as he moved inside that tight heat, or when he wrapped his legs around Eddie, kissing him as he eagerly welcomed him inside his own body.

It was all real. Except for the nightmares. But those were manageable. When either of them woke up shaking from visions of blood and sewers, the other would be there to hold and comfort. They didn’t have to hold the hurt inside anymore.

They weren’t alone anymore. They were together.

Sometimes, in the midst of trying to wrap his head around the fact that it was okay to be this happy, Richie would think back to his thirteen-year old self; that confused, awkward boy, so in love and so terrified. He wished he could send a message to that boy somehow:

”_Don’t worry. It will happen. It will take a long time, but trust me, it will be so worth it.”_

What made things even better was that every day Richie could clearly see how he was not the only one who was that happy. Eddie was the same. Eddie was _thriving_. He’d found himself a good therapist who’d proven to be worth every penny. Eddie had already managed to bring himself to dispose of more than half the content in his medicine cabinet. What was left now was mostly assorted vitamins, aspirin and a few other things that would probably be the next to go. He still had his inhaler - Richie didn’t know if he’d ever get rid of that, but maybe that was okay. He was using it less and less, but it was still a comfort to him to carry it around. Then there was that Sunday when Richie had come back from a trip to the store and found Eddie standing in the living room wearing shorts and an old t-shirt, sweaty and breathing heavily but without wheezing.

”I went for a run,” Eddie had said, sounding almost shocked at himself, a wild and triumphant gleam in his eyes.

He had never looked hotter.

Richie had dropped the grocery bags on the floor, walked up to Eddie and kissed him hard. Then he had grabbed him by the hand and headed straight for the bedroom. Eddie, still vibrating with energy had laughingly crawled onto his lap and ridden him as the afternoon sun shone in on them through the window. Afterwards, they both had been sweaty messes, but Eddie hadn’t been in any hurry to shower or have the sheets changed. He laid there, head resting on Richie’s shoulder, a content grin on his face.

”I didn’t even think about it,” Eddie said when Richie mentioned the run. ”I just got dressed, put on running shoes and I _ran_. I just ran. Like it’s something I do every day. It didn’t even hit me until I was home. Man, it felt so _good!_” Eddie sat up in bed, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted up at the ceiling:

”You hear that, ma? Eddie-bear went _running_! I went out and _exercised_! Without needing my inhaler! I exercised and it felt _good_!”

Richie snorted, then he too cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted:

”Yeah! And you wanna know something else, Mrs K? _I fucked your son_!”

Eddie laughed, and kissed Richie on the cheek.

”That felt good, too.”

”Now that’s _my_ kind of exercise,” Richie said with an exaggerated wink. Eddie had rolled his eyes, but only minutes later they were at it again.

*

Richie shook his head to clear it from the memory of that Sunday. It wouldn’t be good to get a boner in the middle of the store. He liked this place and wanted to be able to show his face here again. He turned his attention back to their small selection of vinyls. Donna Summer… The Beach Boys Greatest Hits… Janet Jackson… Marianne Faithfull… the Streets of Fire soundtrack… Richie stopped browsing and pulled out a compilation album simply titled All Time Greatest Love Songs. The cover was the same type of ridiculously cheesy stock photo thing compilation albums usually have: a man and a woman silhouetted against beams of neon, the woman’s hair and skirt fanning out behind her as if she was caught in motion. Richie gave the cover a derisive snort, but the song selection was not at all bad. Alphaville, The Bangles, Toto, Def Leppard… all stuff he and Eddie had grown up with and loved as kids. A memory came to him of himself at thirteen, lying with his walkman under the covers late at night, rewinding and playing Def Leppard’s Hysteria over and over again while thinking about Eddie.

Maybe he’d buy it. It seemed to be in good condition.

”Uhm…”

A teenage girl had approached him, an apologetic ’hi, I’m a shy fan’-look on her face.

”Sorry to disturb you, but I’m a big fan, and I really wanted to say hi.”

”Yeah? Cool, great to meet you.”

Richie shook her hand, and her smile grew more relaxed.

”I really loved your Netflix special. My girlfriend and I have watched it like five times already.”

”Oh, so _you’re_ the ones?” Richie grinned. ”I really appreciate it. Tell your girlfriend thanks from me, too.”

”I will, I can’t wait to tell her I got to meet you. And… if it’s not too much trouble…”

”You want to take a picture?”

”If you don’t mind?”

”Not at all, go for it.”

The girl handed her phone to a store employee, who took a pic of the two of them, Richie making a goofy face. She grinned when she got her phone back.

”This is awesome, I can’t wait to show Julie,” she laughed. ”Well… I guess I’ll get let you go back to your shopping. Sorry again for bothering you.”

”Stop apologizing, it’s no bother.” Richie’s eyes fell on a patch on her jacket, an embroidered pride rainbow with ’Your True Colors are Beautiful’ stitched in neat text on a white cloud underneath.

”I like your patch. Make it yourself?”

”Oh… yeah, I embroider a lot. I make these for my friends and family. In fact,”

She dug through her bag and pulled out a patch just like the one on her jacket.

”Here, have one.”

Richie accepted it, feeling quite touched.

”Thanks a lot, kid. This is quality work, you’re very skilled.”

”Thank you. I’m glad you like it. And thanks again for the picture.”

She shook hands with him again, and moved away, smiling to herself.

”Fan of yours?”

Eddie was back beside him. Richie nodded.

”Yeah. Sweet girl.”

”Aside from hideous taste in comedy, of course.”

”Of course,” Richie replied with a jovial nod. They could hear the girl chattering excitedly on the phone.

”I found an outfit for the dance. Did you get that blue dress? I’ll bet you’ll look amazing. Can’t wait to see you wear it. Wait to you see what I got, we’re gonna be the best dressed couple there. Anyway, you’ll never _believe_ who I just met! Hang on, I’m gonna send you a pic…”

”Why these kids get so excited to meet your scruffy, unfunny ass is beyond me,” Eddie said, poking Richie in the side, but Richie could see his mouth twitch in a proud smile.

”Don’t bother pretending, princess,” Richie teased. ”It wasn’t cat videos you were laughing at on your phone yesterday, it was my Netflix special. I saw it.”

”Maybe I was, but I was only laughing at how much you _suck._” Eddie huffed. ”Here. I’m buying you this. It’s very you.”

He held up a yellow novelty necktie with an Oscar the Grouch print on it.

”Hey, cool!” Richie said, snatching it up excitedly. ”I love it, you know me so well.”

”That I do,” Eddie replied, rolling his eyes. ”I tell you, _we_ would never have been the best dressed couple at any school dance.”

”Maybe you would have looked nice, but yeah, I probably would have looked like a jackass and behaved like one, too,” Richie laughed, throwing the necktie into their shopping basket along with the compilation record and the Streets of Fire soundtrack. Looking around, he spotted some leather jackets further back and went to take a look. His favorite one had been ruined during the fight in the Derry sewers, and he still hadn’t found one he liked as much to replace it with.

”Did you ever go to any school dances with a date? Or the prom?” Eddie asked as Richie held up a jacket for closer inspection.

”Not really…” Richie thought back. ”Well, there was one time, but that girl ditched me for some meathead like forty minutes after we arrived, and to be honest that was a huge relief. I went home and watched Total Recall.”

Richie put the jacket back. No good.

”Sometimes I just wish you and I had gotten to do that kind of stuff together,” Eddie said, helping Richie browse the jackets. ”Dance to power ballads under cheesy decorations in a school gym. And you dressed like a jackass.” Eddie smiled. ”It would have been nice. If we could have done that.”

Richie looked at Eddie’s wistful expression, sighing. If only they’d told each other how they felt from the start. If only they hadn’t been separated and forgotten each other for twenty-seven years. If only two boys in Derry could have gone to a school dance together without risking their lives. If only, if only…

”I know, babe. We missed out on a lot. But… look at what we have now.”

Eddie looked up at him with a particular expression Richie had dubbed ’the Star Wars-heart eyes’, because once after Richie’d made some stupid joke Eddie had looked at him with that expression and said ’You’re a complete fool, but who is the more foolish? The fool or the fool who’s madly in love with him?’, and Richie had just melted.

”Yeah,” Eddie said softly. ”Look at what we have now.”

”Alright,” Richie said, putting back another rejected jacket. ”I’ve had enough shopping for one day. How about we go home and watch Total Recall?”

”Sure,” Eddie said, Star Wars-heart eyes still there. ”Let’s go home.”

Later that night, Richie lay awake in bed listening to Eddie’s soft breaths as he slept curled up next to him, thinking back to their conversation in the store. He glanced over at the bag containing their purchases, sitting on the floor by the closet. He thought of that silly compilation record, and the little rainbow patch the fan had given him, and an idea began forming in his head. He grabbed his phone on the nightstand and pulled up his calendar. He had nothing this coming Friday. Perfect. He’d do it then. He made a quick list of things he’d need, then put his phone back and snuggled up closer to Eddie. He made a kitten-like whine in his sleep and burrowed his face into Richie’s chest. Smiling, Richie stroked his hair.

”_Can’t wait ’til Friday, babe._”

*

On Friday morning Richie made Eddie breakfast, smiling fondly at him as he watched him pop vitamins in his mouth in between yawns.

”I don’t think today will be very busy,” Eddie said, drinking up the last of his coffee and getting ready to leave. ”I should be home at around five-thirty.”

”Yes, dear. You just have a nice day at the office, and when you get home the place will be tidy and dinner will be on the table. And afterwards I’ll give you a nice foot rub.”

”Damn asshole,” Eddie muttered.

”I thought you _liked_ my asshole.”

”Rich… it’s too early in morning for this.”

”Okay, grouchy.” Richie softened his voice. ”Sorry. Listen, have a good day at work, okay? I’ll send you some links to cute animal videos around lunch.”

”Okay. Sorry I snapped at you.”

”It’s fine. You’re adorable when you’re all grumpy in the morning,” Richie smiled, giving Eddie a quick kiss. ”See you tonight. Love you.”

”Love you, too.”

Eddie left, and as soon as he was gone Richie excitedly ran to a closet to retrieve the cardboard box full of things he’s bought for today. The preparations shouldn’t take too long. He had to make food, too, but nothing too time consuming. There was more than enough time for him to be finished by five-thirty. He opened the box and grinned at the contents.

”_I hope Eddie will like it._”

*

That evening when Eddie stepped inside their home, all he saw was rainbows. Rainbow paper chains, rainbow banners, strings of tiny rainbow flags, rainbow confetti on the floor. In the living room Richie had hung up home made decorations in the ceiling made from rainbow slinkies andwads of cotton for clouds, held steady with wire. Underneath he’d fastened some single chandelier prisms to look like raindrops. He’d put up spotlights and even a disco ball, who was slowly rotating and whose reflections of light swept over the prisms creating spots of rainbow colored lights around the room.

”What the fuck,” Eddie said, taking it all in with a slightly dazed expression.

”Hey, my date’s’ here!”

Richie appeared from the kitchen, holding a pan of brownies which he placed on the living room table next to a bowl of punch. He was dressed in a nice suit and his Oscar the Grouch tie which clashed with it horribly. On the lapel he’d pinned his rainbow patch.

”Are you crazy? What the hell is all this?”

”We’re at a dance.”

”What?” Eddie frowned, still looking at the mess of rainbow decorations.

Richie approached him, smiling.

”I was thinking about what you said last weekend about how we never got to be each others’ date for any school dance or anything, so I thought we could have our own dance at home. I know it’s not really the same thing, but I thought it’d be kinda fun, just the two of us. With a rainbow theme, of course. ’Cause we gay.”

”Uh-huh…” Eddie said, stunned.

”I’m not really good with decorating, I know…” Richie said, laughing nervously. Eddie’s reaction so far was not very promising.

”_What if he hates it?_”

”…so I just kinda put stuff everywhere. Shit, it looks stupid, I know. This was a bad idea.”

”No! No, no!” Eddie said, finally snapping out of it. ”Fuck no, it was not a bad idea, doofus! I was just surprised, because…” laughter bubbled from his throat, ”…there’s a _lot _of fucking rainbows!”

Eddie kissed Richie, laughing against his lips.

”You crazy son of a bitch. I love it!”

”Oh, thank fuck!” Richie laughed, hugging Eddie. ”I was nervous there for a sec.”

Eddie shook his head, still laughing faintly.

”Wow… okay, since you got dressed up, jackass, I’m gonna go and change into something nice, too. Then, I’m gonna need to eat some dinner, I’m starving.”

”No problem, sugar. I’ve got homemade pizza in the oven.”

Eddie went and freshened up, and changed into a nice, dark suit and tie. When he was done Richie had a steaming hot pan pizza waiting and they had dinner comfortably in the kitchen while Eddie told Richie of his day. Once in a while, he would glance towards the living room with a delighted smile. After dinner they cleared the table, then went into the living room. Richie pulled out the compilation album and put it on the record player. Def Leppard’s Hysteria began to play.

_Out of touch… out of reach, yeah_

_You could try to get closer to me_

_I’m in luck, I’m in deep, yeah_

_Hypnotized, I’m shakin’ to my knees_

Richie held out his hand to Eddie.

”Wanna dance, gorgeous?”

Rolling his eyes, Eddie took his hand and let Richie pull him close, and there they were at last, slow dancing to a power ballad underneath ridiculous decorations. Richie smiled down at Eddie and kissed his forehead.

”You know something? I think we actually are the best dressed couple here.”

Eddie snorted. His eyes fell on the pan of brownies.

”Rich… you didn’t put anything in those brownies, did you?”

”Huh? Nah, but…” he glanced around sneakily as if he might be overheard. ”…I spiked the punch with vodka from my parents’ liquor cabinet.”

”Oaf.”

Eddie put his head against Richie’s chest, sighing contentedly as they danced.

”Eds?” Richie whispered. ”When we were kids… I used to listen to this song and think about you.”

”You did?”

”Yeah. I used to imagine telling you that I loved you and wanted to be your boyfriend. Sometimes I imagined you telling me you loved me too, and we’d kiss. Sometimes I imagined you being disgusted and saying you never wanted to see me again.”

Richie felt Eddie holding him a little tighter.

”I used to imagine things like that, too.” He raised his head to look into Richie’s eyes as Hysteria faded out and Forever Young started to play.

There they were again. The Star Wars-heart eyes.

”But it’s like you said, Rich,” he continued. ”Look at what we have now. You and I… we made it. After all this time. We made it.”

Richie swallowed against a lump in his throat.

”We did. We _fucking_ made it!”

Eddie put his hand on the back of his neck to pull him down into a kiss. Richie sighed happily against his lips.

”Eddie… I know this whole thing is still… new. And we haven’t really discussed marriage yet…”

”No.” Eddie pulled back.

”…_No_?”

”No.” Eddie repeated. ”No, you’re not doing this. You beat me to confessing your feelings in Derry, but this time it’s my turn.”

Richie stared as Eddie moved to to closet by the front door. He dug around there way in the back, and returned holding a black leather jacket. He handed it to Richie. The leather was soft and worn in. The jacket was very similar to the one he’d lost in Derry.

”Babe… this is awesome.”

”Put it on.”

Richie shrugged off his suit jacket and put the leather jacket on. Perfect fit. He loved it.

Richie put his hands in the pockets, and his right hand closed around a hard, square object. He pulled out a small box, a jewelry store logo printed on the top. He looked up at Eddie, eyes wide.

”_Oh my fucking god._”

”Open it,” Eddie said. His voice trembled a little.

Richie did as he asked. Inside the box was a pair of engagement rings. Simple plain silver bands. Eddie’d had them inscribed, on the outside rather that the inside, so it was visible for all to see:

_RICHIE + EDDIE_

Before they’d left Derry, Richie had shown Eddie the place on the Kissing Bridge where he’d carved their initials. Eddie had hugged him wordlessly for a long time, then he’d said softly:

”I used to wish it was you. I wished it was you and that you meant me.”

Now he spoke in that same soft voice again:

”I don’t want to hide anymore. I want them to see our names and _know_. Richie…”

Eddie took his hand.

”No one has ever had the ability to drive me crazy quite like you, and I’ve loved every minute of it. These last few months living with you I’ve been happier than I’ve ever thought possible. And however many years I have left in this world I want to spend them with you. Richie Tozier…”

”Yeah? Fuck…” Richie said thickly, and cleared his throat. He wiped quickly at his eyes, tears already streaming down his cheeks.

”Will you be an irresponsible dumbass and marry me?”

”You know I will,” Richie said without hesitation. "Yes, okay? Yes!"

Richie pulled Eddie close, kissing him like he was the air he needed to breathe.

”I love you. I love you so damn much,” he whispered.

”I love you too, Rich,” Eddie said, now wiping away tears too. ”You’re it for me.”

”Well,” Richie sniffed and held out his hand. ”Put a ring on it, then.”

Laughing, Eddie took one ring from the box and slid it onto Richie’s finger, then held out his hand so Richie could put the other ring on his. In the background, the record moved on from Forever Young to Toto’s Africa.

”Fits like a dream,” Richie said holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers. ”Just like the jacket. Romantic sap.”

”You’re one to talk, Rainbow Brite.”

”Well, you really did beat me to it this time. I hadn't even bought any rings yet.”

”I knew it. Slowpoke. I was way ahead of you. I’ve had these for two weeks. I was just waiting for a good time. And you went and created one for me.”

”Glad to be of service.”

They held each other for a while longer, swaying to the music until the record’s Side A was played out. Then Eddie grabbed Richie by the hand and pulled him towards the bedroom. Richie fell onto the bed on top of Eddie, kissing the side of his neck, dragging his lips along the skin to the underside of Eddie’s jaw. He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked down at his fiancé.

”We’re getting married,” he said. He could hear the wonder and happiness in his own voice.

”We are,” Eddie confirmed. He reached up to touch Richie’s face, the pad of his thumb brushing over Richie’s chin, his lips, his cheekbones. Richie slid his hand under Eddie’s shirt to caress the wonderfully soft skin on his stomach.

”We’re forever.”

”Forever,” Eddie smiled. ”Now get undressed and fuck me.”

”Mhm. I love it when you boss me around in the bedroom.”

Richie did as he was told, keeping his eyes fixed on Eddie as he removed his own clothes. He prepared Eddie slowly, feeling Eddie’s hands in his hair as he opened him up. The ring on Eddie’s finger brushed his ear.

”_Forever_,” Richie thought again. ”_We’re really forever_.”

As he pushed inside Eddie he was struck again with the incredible, mind blowing realization that yes, he really was lucky enough to have this in his life. This amazing man whom he’d loved since they were just boys. Whom he’d loved for twenty-seven years without knowing it. Whom he’d offered his heart, and whose heart he’d been given in return. This man was clutching at his back as they moved together, gasping in his ear and begging for more and more even as he comes. He’s Richie’s, and Richie is his.

Richie pressed his face against the crook of Eddie’s neck and came with him.

After, they lay together in a clingy heap, tightly clasping each other’s hands. Richie kept brushing his thumb over his ring, still amazed at its presence on his hand.

”I never did eat any of your brownies,” Eddie murmured, close to falling asleep.

”Forget about it. I think they got burnt at the bottom.”

”Shall we tell the Losers tomorrow?”

”Why wait?” Richie pressed a kiss on the top of Eddie’s head. ”They’ll be happy for us.”

”’Course they will.”

Richie shifted position, sighing blissfully as he smoothed Eddie’s hair aside from his forehead.

”I love you, Eddie Spaghetti.”

”Love you, too, Trashmouth.”

Eddie opened his eyes and smiled.

Richie melted.

Star Wars-heart eyes.


End file.
